Hackers have inserted messages into Apex Legends in protest against the serial hacking problem in Titanfall, which has made playing the earlier game almost impossible without using exploits and cheats. The first Titanfall game released in 2014 and mixed first-person shooter mechanics with mech combat gameplay. The series has seen renewed interest in recent months thanks to the success of its spin-off Apex Legends, with a Titanfall 2 free Steam weekend bringing record numbers of players to the sequel almost five years after it officially launched.
Although this latest problem appears mostly harmless, the battle royale game has been plagued with hacks and exploits since it was released in 2019. These cheaters have a habit of ruining the experience for players and have been a major thorn in the side of developer Respawn Entertainment. In fact, the studio has even threatened legal action against hackers in Apex Legends. Exactly what this could mean is unclear at this time but Respawn has already implemented several systems in its popular title to try and keep it fair for all users.
A group of concerned Titalfall players has hacked Apex Legends to draw attention to a problem that they believe EA and Respawn are purposely ignoring. Apex Legends News reports that some players attempting to get into matches in the battle royale game are being met with messages that read "[Titanfall 1] is being attacked so is Apex." A post-game message also directs players to a website, where the group explains that "Titanfall 1 is currently unplayable on PC due to hacker(s) using exploits that prevents players from being able to play the game." Eurogamer also reports that the hacking group wants EA and Respawn to do more to stop hacking in Titanfall and make the game a fairer experience for legitimate players.
Even though Titanfall still has a dedicated set of fans, development on a third game in the series does not appear to be underway. Reports last year suggested that Respawn was not actively working on any new Titanfall game but that the studio is planning on creating a sequel at some point in the future.
The fact that some fans are so dedicated to playing the original Titanfall on PC that they have resorted to such extreme measures shows just how strongly they feel about the series. There appears to be anger among some players that Respawn has seemingly ignored the fate of its earlier release in favor of Apex Legends. Whether this is the case remains unclear but the hacking stunt will likely bring increased scrutiny on the cheaters and perhaps remind EA that there are still plenty of people interested in the first-person shooter series.
Source: Apex Legends News, Eurogamer